Trayvon Robinson and a clubhouse prankster make an impression on center field wall
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Larry LaRue photo
An athletic-tape reproduction of Mariner outfielder Trayvon Robinson's Friday night crash into the center field wall appeared Saturday afternoon at Safeco Field.
Saturday, September 10, 2011 | 6:53 pm
Like all the other rookies with the Mariners this year, outfielder Trayvon Robinson is being introduced to big-league baseball in a lot of different ways. First at-bat, first hit, first SportsCenter highlight, etc.
Today, first big dose of clubhouse ridicule.
As Robinson walked on to the field before batting practice, he saw his likeness on the center field wall at Safeco Field.
It was an “artist’s” depiction – in athletic tape -- of his attempt to catch Melky Cabrera’s drive off the wall Friday night that resulted in a first-inning triple. It was the outline of a Trayvon-sized body, complete with No. 12 on the jersey and hat flying and ball near his right foot.
Nobody in the clubhouse owned up to the work, although there were suspicions that bullpen catcher Jason Phillips was involved. Whoever did it captured the moment of impact when Robinson crashed hard, face-first, into the wall trying to catch Cabrera’s drive.
“Hey, I’m missing a foot,” Robinson said as he looked through a set of binoculars at the image on the wall. “I like it. I guess it was pretty funny.”
The tape remained on the wall until just before gametime.
A few notes before tonight’s Mariners-Royals game:
• With a bench full of hitters who the Mariners are eager to see the rest of the season (Alex Liddi, Trayvon Robinson, Casper Wells, Wily Mo Pena), Wedge raised a few eyebrows with his choice for designated hitter tonight: veteran Adam Kennedy.
Here’s why, according to Wedge:
“I talk about seeing it through and working to win as many ballgames as we can,” Wedge said. “He’s swinging the bat a little bit better. With his presence and what he’s done for us and a lot of these young kids over the course of the year, he deserves to be in there. We haven’t tried to hide anything this year. The kids have been out there playing. We will continue to play them.
“But, having said that, if Wily Mo Pena or Adam Kennedy or whoever it may be gives us a better chance to win the ballgame tonight then I’m going to put them in there. I don’t think we’re forfeiting anything by doing that. Everybody’s playing to win right now, but also for the future. My job is to win the ballgame today, but also a close second (is that) I’m think about next year every single day.”
• First baseman Justin Smoak is 4-for-8 after two games of the homestand, including a three-hit game Friday in what the Mariners hope will be a strong finish to a tough season for him.
“He was better last night with a couple of hits from the right side and a hit from the left side,” Wedge said. “He seems to be making more consistent contact and putting damage to the baseball.”
• Asked if he saw a replay of Dustin Ackley’s near-home run Friday – when Royals right fielder Jeff Francoeur reached high above the wall to catch the ball, but not until after the ball had hit a fan’s glove – Wedge said he couldn’t bear to see it again after being told it should have been ruled a homer.
“I didn’t want to,” he said. “I heard enough about it from enough different people that it was probably true.”
• When Ichiro Suzuki went 4-for-5 with a home run and two steals Friday night, he became the second oldest player in the last 100 years to do that in the same game. Ichiro was 37 years, 322 days old. The only player older with four hits, including a homer, and multiple steals was Kirk Gibson on his 38th birthday on May 28, 1995. Gibson had four hits (two of them homers) and two steals that day.
Today, first big dose of clubhouse ridicule.
As Robinson walked on to the field before batting practice, he saw his likeness on the center field wall at Safeco Field.
It was an “artist’s” depiction – in athletic tape -- of his attempt to catch Melky Cabrera’s drive off the wall Friday night that resulted in a first-inning triple. It was the outline of a Trayvon-sized body, complete with No. 12 on the jersey and hat flying and ball near his right foot.
Nobody in the clubhouse owned up to the work, although there were suspicions that bullpen catcher Jason Phillips was involved. Whoever did it captured the moment of impact when Robinson crashed hard, face-first, into the wall trying to catch Cabrera’s drive.
“Hey, I’m missing a foot,” Robinson said as he looked through a set of binoculars at the image on the wall. “I like it. I guess it was pretty funny.”
The tape remained on the wall until just before gametime.
A few notes before tonight’s Mariners-Royals game:
• With a bench full of hitters who the Mariners are eager to see the rest of the season (Alex Liddi, Trayvon Robinson, Casper Wells, Wily Mo Pena), Wedge raised a few eyebrows with his choice for designated hitter tonight: veteran Adam Kennedy.
Here’s why, according to Wedge:
“I talk about seeing it through and working to win as many ballgames as we can,” Wedge said. “He’s swinging the bat a little bit better. With his presence and what he’s done for us and a lot of these young kids over the course of the year, he deserves to be in there. We haven’t tried to hide anything this year. The kids have been out there playing. We will continue to play them.
“But, having said that, if Wily Mo Pena or Adam Kennedy or whoever it may be gives us a better chance to win the ballgame tonight then I’m going to put them in there. I don’t think we’re forfeiting anything by doing that. Everybody’s playing to win right now, but also for the future. My job is to win the ballgame today, but also a close second (is that) I’m think about next year every single day.”
• First baseman Justin Smoak is 4-for-8 after two games of the homestand, including a three-hit game Friday in what the Mariners hope will be a strong finish to a tough season for him.
“He was better last night with a couple of hits from the right side and a hit from the left side,” Wedge said. “He seems to be making more consistent contact and putting damage to the baseball.”
• Asked if he saw a replay of Dustin Ackley’s near-home run Friday – when Royals right fielder Jeff Francoeur reached high above the wall to catch the ball, but not until after the ball had hit a fan’s glove – Wedge said he couldn’t bear to see it again after being told it should have been ruled a homer.
“I didn’t want to,” he said. “I heard enough about it from enough different people that it was probably true.”
• When Ichiro Suzuki went 4-for-5 with a home run and two steals Friday night, he became the second oldest player in the last 100 years to do that in the same game. Ichiro was 37 years, 322 days old. The only player older with four hits, including a homer, and multiple steals was Kirk Gibson on his 38th birthday on May 28, 1995. Gibson had four hits (two of them homers) and two steals that day.
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